1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multipurpose learning device, and more particularly, relates to a multipurpose learning device for reducing its size and weight by turning each page of a picture book having multimedia learning information upward and downward.
2. Background of the Related Art
Due to a technical improvement in electronics, many educational machines for toddlers and children have been developed. Especially, the latest trend is to develop machines that incorporate a displaying function to entice children's interest. As a result, the purpose of such machines can be better served by prolonging their interest in learning from each machine. Some examples of the purpose are to increase imaginative power, communicability, arithmetic ability, linguistic ability, color distinguishing ability and to raise moral and social consciousness.
In the present invention, the multipurpose learning device adapts multimedia technology to a conventional picture book which is using for intellectual development of toddlers and children. And this device has a function to output audio/video (A/V) signals through an A/V output unit, like a television, for children to watch the picture and listen to the sound of the book that they are reading.
Conventional picture books which are interactive with a television is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,759 to Frank S. Preston et al. entitled TV Animation Interactively Controlled By The Viewer Through Input Above A Book Page and U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,735 to Peter M. Redford et al. entitled Interactive Book, Magazine And Audio/Video Compact Disk Box. Such devices allow a user to interact with the machine. For example, when a child selects a specific scene from a picture book, the child can see the corresponding picture and listen to the explanatory sound of the picture. Since such a device interestingly incorporates pictures of a picture book and A/V effects output through the television or any other A/V output units, the children can enhance their learning by actively interacting with such a device. Moreover, since lessons from the devices can be repeated as many times as children desire, the effect of education can be increased.
It is known that some conventional multipurpose learning device have many problems, as detailed below.
(1) In some interactive picture books, electronic pens are provided for the user to touch a picture to activate the interactive effects. After long-term use, each page of the picture book is easily injured by the electronic pen, so the conventional multipurpose learning device has the possibility of easy deformation of the pictures mainly associated with the long-term use by a user.
(2) The replacement of a information storing device is difficult because it is installed on a lower case of a main body of the interactive picture book, so a user may be required to disassemble the lower case of the main body for replacing the information storing device.
(3) The size of supporting body for the interactive picture book is large because the pages of the picture book are turned from side to side.
(4) The multipurpose learning device is too heavy to use for a toddler because the picture book and the supporting body are formed as a single module.